章節 45: The Colonel
On the other side, Colonel Schleien in the command post was still completely unaware of the situation on the front lines. He was deeply troubled, staring at the map and desperately trying to figure out a solution to the problem at hand.
At that moment, his adjutant came running in, hunched over to avoid the artillery fire, gasping for breath as he reported, "Colonel, we... we..."
"Enough, Lucas!" Colonel Schleien snapped, clearly displeased with Lucas's panicked demeanor. "I know the situation is dire, and the British are almost upon us, but we have no retreat. We must fight to the death. Please maintain the composure expected of an officer..."
"No, Colonel!" Lucas's face flushed with excitement. "You misunderstand, we... we've won!"
"I know, I..." Colonel Schleien began, but then he froze, looking up at Lucas in astonishment. "What? What did you say? What victory?"
"We've won, Colonel!" Lucas couldn't help but smile. "They've repelled the British!"
"They've repelled the British?" Colonel Schleien was still incredulous. "How did they manage that?"
"With gasoline, Colonel!" Lucas answered. "They laid gasoline along the British advance route and then set half the city on fire... The British suffered heavy casualties, losing at least a hundred tanks and over a thousand soldiers! They won't be able to mount another attack anytime soon!"
Colonel Schleien's mouth fell open in shock. It took him a while to regain his composure and nod in agreement. "Gasoline, what a brilliant idea! Lucas, this is what our soldiers of the Reich are capable of, isn't it? They've won a battle that seemed almost impossible! How did they come up with this plan?"
"Colonel!" Lucas responded, "I've heard that the idea came from a sergeant!"
"A sergeant?" Colonel Schleien looked at his adjutant in surprise.
"Yes, a sergeant!"
"Sergeant Flick!" Bazel's voice called out to Qin Chuan, who was resting against a wall. "The Colonel wants to see you at the headquarters!"
"What?" Qin Chuan didn't immediately grasp what was happening.
"Are you Sergeant Flick?" A junior officer approached Qin Chuan, flanked by two soldiers armed with submachine guns, under Bazel's direction.
"Yes, sir!" Qin Chuan quickly stood up and replied.
"Come with me!" the officer commanded.
"Yes, sir!" Qin Chuan didn't know what was going on, but he understood that he had to follow orders—this was the military, after all.
They made their way through the streets, occasionally ducking to avoid artillery shells fired by the British. Sometimes they had to navigate through rubble and collapsed walls because the streets were often blocked by debris.
After about ten minutes, they arrived at a two-story building. Inside, officers in peaked caps were bustling about. After weaving through the busy area, they reached a dimly lit room. The door had been removed—likely for good reason, as the Libyan doors weren't sturdy enough to provide any real defense and would only hinder movement.
"Colonel!" the junior officer reported, "I've brought him!"
It was then that Qin Chuan saw the officer behind the desk, examining a map through a magnifying glass. Judging by his rank, Qin Chuan quickly realized this must be Colonel Schleien, his regiment commander.
"Sir!" Qin Chuan snapped to attention and saluted.
Colonel Schleien looked up, gave Qin Chuan a once-over, and nodded slightly. "You're Sergeant Flick?"
"Yes, Colonel!" Qin Chuan answered.
"At ease, Sergeant. It's good to meet you!" Colonel Schleien stepped forward and shook Qin Chuan's hand.
"It's an honor, Colonel!" Qin Chuan replied.
"May I see your identification?" Colonel Schleien asked, extending his hand.
This request made Qin Chuan nervous. He had always felt like an imposter, as if he was merely pretending to be Flick, or perhaps it was just a delusion.
Nonetheless, Qin Chuan reached into his pocket, pulled out his soldier's ID, and handed it over, though his hands shook slightly from anxiety.
Colonel Schleien opened the ID and scrutinized the information for a full minute.
Qin Chuan couldn't help but worry... What if the Colonel noticed something suspicious? What if the ID mentioned something odd, like him being a former tank operator, when he knew nothing about tanks? One question could easily expose him.
But his fears were unfounded. Flick was an ordinary soldier with nothing remarkable in his record.
"I'm surprised, Sergeant!" Colonel Schleien said as he returned the ID. "It says here that you have no particular skills, and even describes you as slow-witted. Yet now you're an outstanding sniper, and you just came up with an ingenious plan to repel the powerful British forces. I must say, using gasoline was a brilliant idea!"
"Perhaps it was luck or something else," Qin Chuan replied, unable to think of a better excuse.
Colonel Schleien smiled and shook his head. "No, I don't think it was luck. I suspect you might have upset some officer during your evaluations. But talent will always shine through, won't it?"
"Yes, sir!" Qin Chuan responded, standing at attention. "Thank you, sir!"
"By the way!" The Colonel continued, "I've heard that back in Agedabia, you used your knowledge to demolish a building and help our forces break through the enemy lines?"
"Yes, sir!"
"That's quite impressive!" Colonel Schleien returned to his desk, casually pouring himself a cup of coffee from a kettle, and asked, "Would you like a cup?"
"No, sir!" Qin Chuan politely declined, though he couldn't help but swallow at the inviting aroma of the coffee—especially tempting in the dry heat of the desert.
Colonel Schleien seemed to read Qin Chuan's thoughts, chuckled, and handed him a cup. "There's no need to be formal, Sergeant. You saved all of us—me and my men! We all owe you!"
"That was my duty, sir!" Qin Chuan gratefully accepted the coffee and took a careful sip... The rich flavor was like a long-lost comfort, rejuvenating his entire body.
Colonel Schleien made another cup for himself, then leaned against his desk, raising his cup in a toast. "To victory!"
"To victory!"
"But!" Colonel Schleien continued, "Our situation remains dire. We've only managed to survive the first wave by sheer luck. The British will attack again, a second and third time... And next time, we might not be so fortunate."
Qin Chuan understood what Colonel Schleien meant—the same tactic wouldn't work twice.
Moreover, given the British's heavy losses and the strategic importance of Tengerthin, their next assault would likely be even fiercer.
What would the regiment do then?
Sit and wait to be annihilated?
No, Qin Chuan wouldn't just sit and wait.
Suddenly, Qin Chuan realized this was the perfect opportunity to propose another idea... The regimental commander was right in front of him.
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